Kick Like a Girl

A thought to chew on . . . how did Title IX change your life as a girl? I'd never considered it. Title IX passed 5 years before I was born.

I was a tom-boy growing up and loved and played sports. My best friends were generally guys. I played baseball with the boys at recess I rarely felt that I didn't measure up to them. I never remember feeling less than boys, or like the boys had special rights that I didn't. (except for when I joined Girl Scouts, and our campouts were in the backyard of our leader and all we did was make quilts! I was mad. I tried to join the Boy Scouts, but it didn't work out). So with the exception of Boy Scouts - I never felt like I got the short end of the stick.

I think that our generations relationship to boys and our view of ourselves has been reflected in all of the decisions we make, even the quality of our marriages and what our relationships are based on. I think you see the distinct difference in men 35 and younger as well. In my opinion, in most spheres, we are very much on the same playing field and it is a rare experience to come across a man that seems to have not caught on to the fact that girls in fact rule. ;)

So with great interest I attended the kick off reception of the new documentary "Kick Like a Girl" a film by Jenny Mackenzie.

It's about a girls soccer team who played for 2 years in all girls leagues undefeated. Finally the coach (one of their moms) decided to enter them into the boys league. It's an incredible movie that every mother of girls AND boys needs to see! I loved it!

The other cool thing about this film? It's made by a mom! She had just recently gone back to school in film making - I love to see women continually reinventing themselves and accomplishing cool things. Congrats!

Comments

[Aaron Matthews]

I wonder, what would your feelings be if say a seventh grade boys team decided to go join the girls' league?

Or.. if a freshman team of boys decided to take on the varsity girls in high school basketball?

Just wondering.. why didn't the girls move up to an older league.. it's what the boys would have to have done.

[Rachael]

Interesting point --
As a matter of fact I think the girls played 2 age groups up and continued to have undefeated seasons. They applied to the board with the boys league and got accepted because there were clearly no competitive options at their age level. These kids are in elementary school.

I think the debate could get very interesting with high school sports - that comes with lots of other options and scenarios. It would be interesting to see a boy try to join a high school girls team - that's for sure. I've seen a girl join the high school boys football team because there were no alternatives for girls - and that was quite a big deal when I was in high school.

[Aaron Matthews]

I think it's great these girls were given that opportunity. My son's hockey team played against a girls' hockey team two years older - it was good competition, even when they lost 5-4 in the first game. For youth sports isn't that what matters? To play against good competition to get better?

My issue is, it was still it is an avenue that isn't afforded to the boys. Boys would be forced to move up the line no matter how far it is... three.. four years.

So you know, boys of any age or size are not permitted in Colorado (or most states) to compete on any girls' team, regardless of the age or size of the girls.

Girls of any size are permitted to participate on any boys' team if there is no girls' team.

So that means a 4ft 50lb seventh grade boy is said to be too big and strong to compete against a 180 pound senior girl in field hockey, but a 180 pound freshman girl is perfectly ok to compete against 100 pound freshman boys in Ice Hockey, or even wrestle against boys even if the boys feel sexually harassed - and wrestling counts as a boys' sport for numbers.

The CHSAA bylaws states they will not consider boys as individuals.

My son plays field hockey also.

Obviously he will not be allowed to play for his school because of his gender.

He is the smallest one in his class, so it's ok for the girls to take his place on the ice, but they won't let him compete against them on the pitch.